"I can't remember the last time I showed my face here." Desdemona inhaled slowly, appreciating the way cooking smoke and clean air filled her lungs.

"Heh, last time you came here was when you gave me those political orders?" Guessed Tessa.

"Well we needed to assure we had friends in Diamond City, it is the center of the Commonwealth," replied Desdemona as she started down the steps into the former baseball stadium. "Wasn't here to enjoy the sights."

"I almost shot you!" Reminded Tessa.

"But you didn't."

"Only because my radar showed green." The laughter died down after a short while, and Tessa cleared her throat. "We should head to my house first."

"I thought we'd already agreed to that?" Desdemona inquired with an arched brow. A hand went to her hip and Tessa felt a thrill of energy down her spine. Now that she was no longer denying how she felt, it was exhilarating to enjoy the ginger's beauty.

"Well- yes. I just wanted to confirm," she explained awkwardly. "Right away, before the town can gossip that I'm back. Piper hates it when I don't check in first thing when I'm back."

Desdemona's lips pulled into a smug grin. "Hmm seems like someone stopped practicing secrecy."

"Well when the local troublemaker writes about you in her paper, kind of hard to keep a low profile," Tessa said. They reached the bottom of the stairs and Tessa made a beeline for her home in the marketplace. As always, Diamond City was bustling. Travelers and citizens alike strolled through the packed plaza. Guards kept to their patrol paths, watching the thick crowd for any danger.

A guard with a particularly bald head watched them from behind sunglasses, and Tessa stuck her tongue out at Deacon. To his credit, he only gave the faintest of smirks back. "Did you know you were going to be followed?"

"Of course," Desdemona whispered back. She made a gesture so subtle Tessa nearly missed it, and Deacon trudged down an alleyway. "He isn't a fan of when I leave HQ."

"I do believe you told me once you're one of three members with all the intel," agreed Tessa as she shuffled past the chem shop. Solomon politely called after her, but as always she kept her eyes fixated ahead.

"And he's the other living one on that list," she said slowly. Hazel eyes kept a close watch on anyone who looked as if they might be listening, but half the crowd seemed preoccupied with Takahashi's noodle bowls. The broken protectron's one line of Japanese could just be heard over the gaggle of voices.

Tessa snorted and gestured Desdemona over to the red door of her home. After taking a few seconds to unlock it, Tessa swung it open with a greeting. "Hey darlings, I'm home!" Dogmeat pounced before Tessa had finished speaking. She stumbled back into the door as the hound demanded affection. With raucous laughter, Tessa complied.

"Welcome back Blue!" Piper's voice came as she rounded the corner from the kitchenette. Her eyes widened at the unexpected guest. "Desdemona! What brings you by?"

Visibly nervous, she brushed a few locks of hair back. "Tessa is officially a Railroad contact, rather than agent. I wanted to talk about the details with you all."

Piper smiled brilliantly at Tessa, who nodded in confirmation. "That's fantastic!" Piper said before she rushed over to hug Tessa. She kissed Tessa energetically and removed the blonde's hat as she pulled back. "Make yourself comfortable then Desdemona, I can get some lunch going."

"You can just call me Dez," she offered as Tessa indicated the nearby couch. "Also, I'd appreciate a meal."

"Dez it is then. Blue can attest I ain't exactly one for long names."

"Tessa is not a long name," protested Tessa. Piper only gave cheeky laughter and began to rummage through the pantry cabinet. She pulled out some canned vegetables and salted meat. The rapid chop of a knife on a cutting board pleasantly filled the air, while somewhere upstairs a radio was playing smooth jazz. Dogmeat had settled at Tessa's feet, head resting on her combat boots. Amused, she reached down to scratch behind his ears. A steady thump of tail wagging joined the soft ambiance.

Desdemona gave Tessa an admiring smile. "Is Curie around?" She called to Piper.

"She will be shortly. She's teaching some biology to the schoolhouse today. I'm pretty sure she'll be home by noon." Piper was cooking the meat on the wasteland stove, something that hearkened back to more traditional styles rather than the efficient four heating elements of a pre-war oven. It was also considerably, a much greater fire risk which Tessa often lamented.

"I forgot she had that today," Tessa drawled. "I hope she's breaking it down so the kids can understand."

Piper snickered. The veggies had joined the meat in a stir fry of sorts, savory flavors filling the air. Both recent travelers gave contented sighs at the scent alone. Tessa caught Dogmeat sniffing around Piper's legs and called him over. The hound scampered over guiltily. Tessa frowned at him for all of five seconds before she could withstand his sorrowful brown eyes no longer and she forgave him.

"Shaun is there, he can help translate as he always does," Piper said.

Tessa laughed. A hand absentmindedly scratched Dogmeat who's tail once more thumped away. "I'm not sure how well understood that translation is, but it's got to count for something. What's the lesson today?" She caught Desdemona hesitantly looking at Dogmeat, and she gave an encouraging smile for the Railroad leader to join in. Dogmeat melted to the floor begging for more. Delight shimmered in hazel eyes, and Desdemona eagerly satisfied the hound.

Tessa caught herself smiling softly, and almost missed that Piper was talking. "Frogs, and why we're very lucky they don't seem to have mutated to extreme sizes like most other animals," Piper added some razorgrain rice, certainly not as good as pre-war rice but it did the trick. Tessa missed the taste of fresh white rice, along with a hundred other now-extinct recipes. If she focused enough, she could almost recall what steak tasted like before the radiation.

Piper's voice split through her reverie. "Blue, can you get drinks?"

"Sure thing." Tessa got up and rummaged through the fridge she'd salvaged with the assistance of Cait. It kept the drinks crisp and food fresh perfectly, though there was a weird smell that would stick no matter how much they scrubbed it. It, fortunately, came out with cooking and wasn't foul. It was like a smell Tessa simply couldn't name, driving her mad with frustration. She pulled out a bottle of purified water provided by none other than the local business-kid, two Nuka-Colas, and one glass of brahmin milk. According to her Pip-Boy's clock, Curie would be home in less than five minutes.

Plating the small dining table with drinks, followed by plates, silverware, and napkins, Tessa wore a proud smile. "That looks lovely," Piper praised once she'd noticed what her girlfriend had done. Tessa beamed back at her. "God, you're cute."

Giggling now, Tessa snuck a kiss on Piper's cheek. "I hope you had a good day," Tessa said in her ear.

The reporter flushed crimson, then cleared her throat. "Y-yeah! I got a lead I followed up. Looks like there are some raiders in real weird getups starting to gather on the outskirts of the Commonwealth. They're a bit too far to be a problem just yet, but probably a good idea to keep an eye on it."

With an immediate shift in her demeanor, Tessa nodded. "I'll put out an order from Castle through the radio, all patrols are to increase. We need scouts to locate their nests asap."

"Nice to see General Bullseye in the flesh again," Desdemona remarked with a flirtatious tone. Piper arched a brow and squinted at her suspiciously.

"Well, I did quit the Railroad to reduce my responsibilities," Tessa replied with a blush. "I can do it better by wearing only one hat."

Desdemona snickered softly. Piper gave a cautious look to Tessa, who shrugged awkwardly. They had kept things fairly light on the walk over, but Desdemona had certainly relaxed compared to before.

Before any of them could say anything, the door came open. Curie walked inside with a lab coat on, a heavy set of papers within her arms practically falling out of her grip. "Ah assistance please, Madame Wright!" Curie called eyes down on the precarious luggage. Instead, Desdemona was the first to her, and she nabbed the slipping educational papers before they fell onto the floor. "Most thank you!" Curie said, "The wind nearly stole them right from me!"

"No problem," Desdemona replied.

The moment Curie's eyes met Desdemona's, she gasped and dropped the papers. "Dez?" Her voice shifted, losing its French accent. Shock filled her eyes, lip trembling as the name left them. Tessa and Piper stood by, tension and anxiety bubbling in the air.

Desdemona took a small step back, inhaling sharply. "Hey… Yeah, it's me. Who uh… am I talking to?"

"It's me Dez," G5 said, reaching a hand out hesitantly. She took a step back and looked to the others. "You… Tessa, you brought her here?"

"I hope that's okay."

G5 stared at Desdemona, hesitance, and uncertainty so thick around her it was practically visible. "Yeah… it is." The former courser took a small step closer, lips drawing into a thin line. They were both nervous. G5 took one of Desdemona's hands, her presence like a ghost in the wasteland home. "It's me."

"So you know who I am," Desdemona asked softly, "exactly who I am?"

G5 gave a rueful smile and cupped her cheek. "Been a while, huh Hun?" Desdemona broke into tears as they kissed, impassioned and a faint bit desperate. They held each other as if they thought they would disappear when they split apart. Tessa couldn't stop smiling herself as they finally did, brows resting close together.

Piper cleared her throat. "Hey G5," she greeted. "Nice to see you."

"You sure you wouldn't prefer Curie?" G5 replied with an edge of playfulness.

"I think this is a moment meant for you."

G5 snickered, much more confident in her mannerism than Curie was. She bit her lip and looked at Desdemona who seemed as if she were floating in the clouds. "Damn right it is. Now, what finally brought you here Hun? I know you're the type to keep their distance so either you made the plea or Tessa did for this reunion."

"Good as ever," praised Desdemona, still lost in the clouds. Her face was slowly turning as red as her hair. "Tessa managed to talk me into it. You know I'm too cautious a person to dare do this myself."

G5 brushed back some ginger locks, admiring the Railroad leader's beauty. "Well, in fairness, I wasn't exactly kicking around until a few months ago. You'd have more likely gotten Curie than me."

"I'm really glad you're here," whispered Desdemona, a yearning in her voice that made the reporter stiffen. G5 looked ready to pin Desdemona to the wall and make out.

"How about lunch?" Suggested Piper, "we can all catch up as we eat."

"You cooked?" G5 inquired. At Piper's nod, she smiled warmly. "Thanks."

"No problem," Piper replied easily, then turned to the kitchenette to set out the food. Tessa silently walked after her to aid, but she hadn't gotten far before Piper spoke in a low whisper. "You didn't think about warning me?"

Tessa gave a weak smile, "Well I didn't know she would react so… viscerally."

"Or the bit about them being a thing?" Piper half hissed out in an attempt to keep quiet. "Not even a little 'hey so'?"

"Sorry," Tessa apologized softly.

Piper sighed, pinched her brow, and then gave Tessa a level look. "Any other surprises?"

"Uh- well see, Desdemona kinda wants to uh… try dating us," Tessa nervously said.

Hazel eyes blinked incredulously. "Serious?"

"Absolutely. I told her I wasn't sure if it were possible but I didn't want to flat out deny her and G5 a chance." Tessa blushed as Piper took her in, judging her for all she was worth. "I mean, it's not like we haven't swung with other people before."

"Magnolia was just a fling," Piper dismissed.

"A fling we repeat whenever we visit the Third Rail," replied Tessa firmly.

"Okay, so you may have a point there. I just don't like being surprised like this," relented Piper.

Tessa gave her a charming smile. "If I could have told you earlier I would have, but Desdemona wanted to bring it up herself."

Piper glanced back to the chatting pair, a certain joy to their faces that was rarely present. "Well… I mean I do like her as a person, I just never considered… that."

"I figured, and that's okay. We all know love isn't a switch, Pipes. All she's asking is a chance," Tessa reassured. "Think you can give her that?"

After a few moments of thought, Piper gave a resolute nod. "Sure."

Relieved, Tessa kissed her brow. "You're the best."

"Don't you forget it," teased Piper as she began to serve the stir fry into bowls. Tessa brought them over a pair at a time, and once all was ready she sat next to Desdemona and across from G5.

They both thanked her and Piper once the reporter had settled into the last seat. "It smells delicious," G5 praised before digging in. "Mhm… tastes just as good."

Piper flushed a bit. "Heh, well spend as many years as I have cooking for a picky kid, you figure out how to make vegetables taste good."

"How is the little brat?" G5 inquired.

Desdemona arched a brow as if concerned G5 had insulted Piper, but instead, Piper laughed thickly. "She's trying to get her classmates to write articles for the paper! I made one joke about how it could make a nice piece to see the world through the eyes of a child, and she ran away with it. Shaun has already written three articles too long for print."

G5 flashed her teeth in a crooked grin. "I like her, she's got spunk. Could do without the pranks though."

"Pranks?" Desdemona asked.

"Oh yeah, she's a troublemaker just like Piper! I think she meant to prank Grey, but instead, Curie used paint to wash our hair. She was so shocked when she realized I woke up so we didn't drown in the tub!"

Piper sighed ruefully. "Definitely not one of her finest pranks. It took what- a solid week to get it all out?"

"Eight days, sixteen hours and forty-two minutes," G5 replied aggressively. "Our hair was Diamond City green that entire time."

"God it smelled too," Tessa added, mostly occupied with her meal.

"I was tempted to go full shaved again like those Institute fucks did to us," G5 said.

Tessa tilted her head. "While you definitely have the face to rock it bald, I think Curie prefers hair."

"Yeah yeah- it's our hair now not just mine." G5 darkened visibly, eyes casting themselves aside. "Less hair is easier to maintain, and when it stinks of paint it's a bit tempting to sheer off."

With an apologetic look, Tessa tried to move the conversation along. "Hear any other interesting rumors Pipes?"

"Sounds like someone just wants to avoid reading the next issue of the paper," she teased back. Tessa chuckled and shook her head. "Well… I guess aside from colorful new raider gangs, there is the rumor about some Gunners getting massacred."

"Serves them right," Desdemona mumbled around her food.

G5 frowned. "MacCready, the sniper… He has a bad history with them doesn't he?"

Tessa smiled that G5 remembered, and nodded. "Yeah, they forced him to do some really bad stuff, but eventually he broke free. I know that the Gunners are very aggressive mercs, barely better than a raider gang if you ask me. They've got access to some advanced weapons though, gives them an annoying edge."

"They're the ones behind the Quincy Massacre too, aren't they?" Desdemona inquired.

Tessa gave a grim nod. "Yeah… It was quite a mess. Only five people ended up surviving what once was the Minutemen, and I met those survivors in Concord a day after I got out of the vault."

"That's where you met Preston, right?" G5 asked. Tessa nodded. "Huh… To think that if Father woke you up a day or more later, the Minutemen might've been completely wiped out."

"Not my favorite train of thought," Tessa replied, then occupied herself with the delicious meal. Piper had never been lacking in skill, but her latest meals had been particularly tasty. She softly voiced her praise to her love, who beamed with a smile back.

G5 frowned, then gave a small nod of understanding. They ate with small talk for a little bit longer until they were all finished eating. Satisfied smiles praised Piper who beamed with pride. Tessa cleaned up while Piper brought out some sweet rolls Curie had prepared recently. G5 aggressively plucked one from the plate, while Desdemona offered the synth hers. G5 eyed it for a few moments before she took it as well.

"Still got that sweet tooth huh?" Desdemona said softly as if lost in memories.

Sugar smearing her lips, G5 giggled foolishly. "What can I say, it's tasty."

"I'll be sure to let Curie know," Piper chuckled.

G5 winked at her before she snuck a piece to Dogmeat who eagerly ate the treat up. "You know that's not good for him," Tessa admonished lightly.

"Eh, makes him happy. Not even I can resist those puppy dog eyes." Dogmeat barked as if to further cement the statement, and the ladies all admired the hound.

Piper's eyes drifted to Desdemona, and she tilted her head. "You know, Dez, there's an awful lot I don't know about you."

"That's by design, most people have no idea I even exist," she replied with a hint of pride.

"True, but, I would love to interview the leader of the Railroad. It could probably help make people a bit more sympathetic to synths if they understood why people are willing to risk everything for them."

Desdemona arched a brow. "I hadn't considered that. We are moving out of our top-secret operations now that the Institute is an ally. You must understand however, there's much I can't tell you for the safety of my people."

She nodded, pulled out her notepad and a pen from her holder on her wrist. Tessa still adored that Piper was always ready for a scoop. Desdemona arched her brow higher, a wry grin pulling at her lips as the reporter prepared herself. G5 got up to fetch some fresh drinks, and Tessa thanked her when a Nuka-Cola was in her hand. The former courser winked, then sat next to Desdemona. Tessa gave Piper a playful kiss on the cheek before she started tending to a whimpering Dogmeat.

"First question then, how long have you been in the Railroad?"

"Trying to find out my age?" Desdemona replied smoothly.

"Just accessing your veteran status," Piper easily replied.

With a small nod, Desdemona answered, "I was in for five years before I became the leader. Been that for the last eleven years. We changed leadership after our HQ got hit real bad by the Institute. Lost a lot of good people."

"I imagine you have over the years," Piper said with a somber tone. Grimaces spread across both G5 and Tessa's faces. It was easy to remember the wounded in Mercer Safehouse after the Institute attacked the Imperial. Tessa had seen several people dying, that aggressive fellow Viper puking his guts up into a bucket was burned into memory. She'd never forget the grief on Deacon's face when he'd opened the door.

Desdemona grunted. "There are always casualties in war, and even if you try to prepare, it doesn't make the pain go away. I've done what I could to honor their sacrifice, and accomplish our mission."

"Why did you start fighting for synths?"

"It's… pretty personal. Off the record, my kid brother was killed by old gen synths. On the record, it was the right thing to do, and I needed to feel like I was doing something to help. The synths… they never really had allies except for the Railroad, and we've only been kicking around the last two decades or so."

"Sounds like you've been in charge for a considerable amount of time then. What made you become the leader, instead of just a top agent?"

Desdemona chuckled at some memory. "I'm the fourth leader of the Railroad. After the third stepped down due to a massive loss, it was down to a vote. I won. I'm in charge because my people decided me to be because I was the one who cared not just about the mission, but about the agents."

Piper arched a brow, pouncing upon that comment like the expert reporter she was. "I take it you don't agree with the methods of your rival?"

"He is… Different than I, that's for sure. Ultimately, however, he cares about the Railroad and our mission, as well as keeping us all safe."

"Is it Doctor Carrington?" Piper inquired, "he doesn't give me the warmest of feelings. Not to mention he nearly snapped my head off when he didn't know who I was during the Brotherhood attack."

Desdemona gave a slow nod. "He thinks I care too much for our agents, and not enough about winning." Then a smile slipped her lips and she shrugged. "Guess we know who was right in the end." A hearty laugh filled the room, and they paused to drink their sodas.

"So, did you ever think you were going to lose?"

"I refused to," Desdemona said firmly. "I won't lie and say I never had any doubts, but none I believed in. If I lost hope, then everyone would, and we wouldn't be talking right now. The last fifteen years have been hell, but it's all been worth it to free the synths."

"You sound a bit like Blue," Piper praised, making Tessa flush. "The first time I interviewed her she said we can't ever give up hope on seeing our lost ones again."

"Oh yeah, I remember that. I read that paper and all your others."

Piper smiled with surprise. "You did? Are you a fan of the press then?"

"It's an open-source of information that I can trust isn't biased by the Institute." Desdemona openly checked her out and smirked. "Also helps when the reporter is so cute."

G5 snorted while Piper's cheeks turned crimson. "Bored of me already?" G5 teased. She leaned closer to Desdemona who in turn flushed as her lost lover made herself very known. The only one not blushing at that point was G5, who possessed as much charm as a starlight singer.

"Never," Desdemona vowed thickly. G5 produced a throaty laugh then kissed her cheek. When G5 pulled back, she reminded Tessa of a cat about to pounce. She half wondered if she should offer them the spare bed that came out of the couch.

Trying to recollect herself, Piper cleared her throat. "Okay, tell me, what to you is a synth?"

"A person," Desdemona instantly said, "someone who is as alive as any human, with dreams, needs, and a soul."

G5 and Tessa smiled at her words, something stirring inside Tessa. Desdemona was the type of person who could easily give a motivating speech, but even when she spoke swiftly there was an impact that she found uplifting. There was a force to Desdemona that sometimes others described to her, power and magnetism as if the future moved with her. It was beautiful even.

Piper closed her notepad and tucked her pen away. "Thanks, Dez, I'm sure I can make something good with this. Loose on the names, heavy on the facts, full of emotion."

Desdemona smiled politely. "I hope it genuinely helps. Turning public opinion and taking out some final threats is the Railroad's main goal now."

"Threats?" Tessa asked tightly, worry prickling up her spine.

Desdemona waved her off. "Nothing the agents can't handle, don't worry. It's mostly just raiders who are making it particularly tough for synths, nothing new."

Relaxing, Tessa gave a little nod. "Right, okay. So… now what?"

The women shared glanced and shrugs before Piper tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well after I check up on Nat and Shaun, how about… a night out? It's been a while since we've had an easy evening."

"According to Curie's journal, no it hasn't," G5 cut in.

"Not that kind of an easy evening," Piper squeaked. She was as red as her trench coat now. "I'm not near that quick!" G5 gave a mischievous smile. Piper gasped then swatted her shoulder with the notepad.

Dramatically, G5 covered her mouth. "How could you! I trusted you! Now that you've wounded me I have no choice but to retire for the rest of the day."

"God, you're more trouble than I am," Piper snarked.

G5 winked, before bursting into laughter. Tessa and Desdemona both smiled at the sound, while Piper rolled her eyes. "Look, I used to be a stoic emotionless murderer, let me enjoy laughter."

"Don't use that excuse now," Desdemona interjected, "You haven't been that way for a long time."

"Even you would betray me?" She gasped, dark eyes alight. This was a side of G5 they rarely got to see, but the presence of Desdemona had radiated her into such a happy mood it was practically overflowing. Her mirth softened as she locked eyes with Desdemona. They kissed once more, slowly this time. Tessa and Piper interlocked their arms and leaned against one another, a peaceful hum between them. Some part of Tessa was overjoyed to have helped those two reunite, while another was eager at what may come.